Let's Talk about OCs
by ThespianKid
Summary: A problem has risen in this fandom, and I think that it's time that we get to the bottom of it.
1. Chapter 1

I've noticed a problem with this fandom. And, no, it's not Mary-Sues, because I know that that's what you're thinking. However, this problem could be a product of Mary-Sues.

What I've noticed is this fandom is unmatched in its hostility towards original characters. They're either ignored or burned at the stake by flamers. And it doesn't make any sense.

In a fandom where there is so much opportunity to create original characters, they are surprisingly scarce when one scrolls through the list of stories. In a camp as big as Camp Half-Blood, one must wonder why the only campers present are those that Rick has explicitly named (and not even all of those characters make the cut). The world of PJO is a large one, with enough space that Percy and Annabeth can take a vacation from being the centers of attention once in a while. There were quests and demigods before them, and there will be quests and demigods after them.

I know that Percy and Annabeth are our babies, and that we've spent 10(ish) books reading about their adventures (as a couple of the HoO books don't really focus on them). But we as a fandom have to realize that Percy and Annabeth were the original OCs. We didn't know them at first, but we grew to love them. And who are we to deny the new little daughter of Apollo who simply wants to be loved the same way that we love Percy and Annabeth. Who knows? Maybe you'll love her more.

Maybe I'm biased, as I'm wholeheartedly in love with writing OC-central stories despite their unpopularity. But I honestly feel like the fandom is missing out on a gold mine by shoving OCs into the darkest corners of the story list.

Maybe this is about Mary-Sues. This fandom hates them like no other. But we can't continue to let our fear of reading Mary-Sues stop us from giving OCs a fair chance. Actually, if we shake this ridiculous phobia of wasting five minutes of our time reading about a Mary-Sue, we can actually make them less of a problem.

You heard me.

Reading more stories with OCs and giving the authors advice will _decrease_ the amount of Sues if the fandom, as those authors will learn how to write real characters. And then everyone wins! The author gets recognition and a chance to grow, and the readers get to read about a new and possibly fantastic character!

After all, we can't all be fanfiction writers forever. Most of us dream of moving on and eventually becoming published authors in our own right. But we can't write our own original stories with our own original characters if we don't practice. That's why I believe that OCs are so important, and who we should encourage them, not tear them and their authors to pieces.

Let me know how you feel about this, whether you agree with me or not.


	2. Chapter 2

**I got a comment on the last chapter, and it brought up some interesting points that I'd like to discuss in this installment.**

* * *

><p>I'm sure that some people (maybe many people) read the last chapter and thought "I don't want to read about anyone's boring character. I came here to read about the characters that I already know!" This doesn't make you wrong in the slightest, and I'm sorry if I made it seem that way.<p>

I can see your point about wanting to read about the characters that you already know. After all, it _is_ the section for _Percy Jackson_ fanfiction. In no way am I suggesting that the story list should pull a 180 and become an endless void of "Meet [blank], (Daughter/Son) of [insert god here]". That actually sounds like a nightmare to me, because sometimes I do just want to read about areas of Rick's characters that he hasn't explored. Even some of my stories feature exclusively canon characters (though a nice chunk of them are about Teen Wolf, so I don't know if that counts). If people suddenly decided that they didn't like writing or reading about canon characters, I would be SOL just like the rest of you. But I digress.

I do not think that it should be one or the other, because we don't live in a world that's black and white; stories about OCs and stories about canon characters should be able to live in harmony. (My zodiac is Libra, so please excuse me if most of what I say centers around compromise; it's the scales talking.)

Like I said in the previous installment, Percy was nothing to any of us but an OC when we first picked up _Lightning Thief_. Unless someone recommended the series to you, raving about how it was so amazing, I'm sure that when you read "My name is Percy Jackson. I'm 12 years old and I'm a demigod" you just thought "Who gives an eff?" But you stuck with him, and you grew to love him. The same thing could happen when you're reading about Kayla Wedge, Daughter of Demeter (who I just made up, so you can't actually read about her).

Granted, Rick Riordan is a professional writer, something that most people on FFN are not. Most people here are actually newbies. But if we nurture their talent by helping them learn how to write an OC, eventually the quality of OC stories will increase. In which case, as I've previously states, everybody wins!

Take me for example. I've been writing since I was about eight (I'm sixteen now). Three years ago, on a different FFN account, I wrote my first OC story set in the PJO universe. If you'll believe it, this OC beat Apollo (yes, APOLLO) at sword-fighting the first time she ever tried it, just because she was mad at him for teasing her.

I know… it's gross to think about, even now.

But I've grown. The OCs in my current story are much more believable (in my opinion). They don't know how to do anything the first time they try it, and they continue to have a lot to learn. And, if I do say so myself, they're pretty flawed people. Even I occasionally want to punch them in their faces for some of the stupid things that they do. But it's who they are, and I think that their flaws shine through in their mistakes, which is important. It took me _three years_ to get to this level (and I still might not be as good as I think I am). But I got here, because people read my first OC stories and gave me constructive criticism. Without those pointers, I never would've gotten to where I am today. Without the support of the people in the fandom, the new OC writers have no hope of getting any better.

Sure, there will still be bad stories. That's an inevitability, as there will always be newbies and people unwilling to take the steps to get better. But if the FFN community can help at least a few people become better writers by just giving their OCs a chance, then I feel we'll have done the world a service.

In my opinion, the Percy Jackson universe is a beautiful one, because it is the ideal environment for people to practice writing OCs without having to create a world on their own, especially when they're just starting. People in fandoms like "The Fault in Our Stars" can't create their own OCs independent of Hazel and Augustus, because nothing interesting would happen outside of that bubble. Fandoms like Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, and The Hunger Games leave so much wiggle room for people to create OCs that don't have to be attached to the main characters at the hip. You want to write a demigod? Do it. You want a wizard? Write it. You want a tribute? Have a crack at it. Their whole world is the writer's oyster, and they can really spread their wings and fly.

Some people might be thinking "Well if they wanna write OCs so badly, why don't they just move over to fictionpress and stop writing fanfiction?" The reason why simply moving to fictionpress doesn't work is because writing in the Percy Jackson universe is _fanfiction_ Whether any of Rick's characters make an appearance or not, it's _fanfiction_ If it's set in a world where Camp Half-Blood is a place and gods claim their demigod children, then it's a _Percy Jackson FANFICTION_.

My point is, a writer can't take their Camp Half-Blood-bound demigod over to fictionpress, because that becomes copyright infringement. They'd have to create a whole new world and a whole new set of rules for this world and the demigods in it, which is a lot to ask for from a person who still has to learn how to write a believable character.

When all is said and done, though, it's really up to you whether you want to read OC stories or not. If you see an OC story, feel free to scroll past it! Some thing just don't pique our interest (I for one don't see the appeal in Percy joins Chaos stories; they make no sense to me (I apologize if you've written one; this is just my opinion). I just don't think that it's right that potentially-great stories are being squashed by the stigma that plagues OCs. I hope that my little rant gave some people with an OC-central story in their brains some hope, and that canon and OC stories can one day coexist.

If anyone has any opinions to share on the points that I've discussed, or even wants to bring up a new point, just leave me a review and I'll be happy to read it/discuss with you about it!


End file.
